Episode 211: Window Dressed to Kill
}} When half of window designer duo is murdered, Chuck and Emerson must figure out who did it - without the help of Ned. Meanwhile, the Pie Maker continues to battle with the decision not to use his power anymore, and two prisoners burst back into Olive's life, looking for some help. Synopsis The Past Nine-year-old Olive Snook is dressed for her parents' party but no one is paying any attention to her. Used to being ignored, she goes outside but is abducted by kidnappers who held her for a day "Buster" Bustamante and Jerry Holmes. When they tried to collect the ransom, the police set a trap and captured them. Olive watched as they were taken away. The Present Jerry and Buster break out of prison and want to get revenge on Olive. Oliver, meanwhile, is busying trying to decipher Ned's previous comment about whether he loves her or not, or could, or might. Ned has her try pie samples and Olive realizes he says everything in double negatives. She decides to hang from the ceiling to recreate when she was hanging from a cliff. Emerson and Chuck arrive and Ned notes that he's stopped using his abilities. Chuck supports him but Emerson isn't so sure, and isn't happy that he doesn't have anyone to help him solve his current case. Chuck offers to work as his sidekick and he reluctantly accepts. Emerson and Chuck go to a park fountain, where Erin Embry, department store window dresser, has seemingly got drunk, fell in the fountain, and froze to death. Emerson doesn't think there's a case and leaves Chuck to handle it. Chuck and Ned go walking their pets and Chuck takes Ned to Dicker's Department store where Erin worked. There's a fountain in the display window, the same as the one at the park, and the mannequin is wearing the same clothing as Erin Embry. Ned doesn't want to be a detective and goes back to the Pie Hole. Randy Mann, taxidermist, come to the Pie Hole to see Ned and bring him the birds he's stuffed for Ned's magician cousins. However, he's there primarily to see Olive. Buster and Jerry come in looking for Olive. Ned comes back to the Pie Hole to discover that it's been closed and Buster and Jerry have closed the place and taken Olive and Randy hostage. Olive explains that the two crooks were petty thieves and were in the wrong car at the wrong time. Young Olive had hidden in their car, hoping they would take her. They wanted to take Olive back but she refused to tell them anything. It turned out the two days she spent with them watching cartoons were the best days of her childhood. Buster and Jerry explained the situation to the Snooks and realized they hadn't even realized their daughters were gone. The Snooks called the police and had them arrested for kidnapping, and Olive vowed to keep in touch. She wrote them every week and they never forgot her. Buster and Jerry want Olive to help them get across the border. However, when they realize who Ned is, they congratulate him on the fact he's marrying Olive. It turns out that she's been lying to the two men, and Ned plays along. After learning what happened with Olive, Chuck brings Emerson to the department store. Chuck isn't thrilled even though they'll only be a pretense for a day. As they discuss the case and Emerson congratulates Chuck on her sleuthing, Erin's devotee Wendell Feathersome talks about her partnership with fellow window dresser Coco Juniper. Wendell claims Erin was the sole talent of the partnership. When Emerson wonders how they're going to get paid, Olive starts spreading rumors that Erin was murdered and Emerson was looking into the case. After the crowd of Erin's fans pay, Emerson meets with Dick Dicker, owner of Dicker's Department Store. Dick wonders why Emerson is investigating what the police have concluded was an accident. He mentions Coco and the fact her and Erin's windows helped the store's business, and Coco is in mourning. Emerson and Chuck talk to Coco and Denny, who admits that she's missing Erin as an inspiration. However, Coco insists that she carried Erin all along. She says that her new window will be on display that night as a memorial to Erin and Chuck and Emerson resolve to be there. Randy drives Buster and Jerry to the border in his taxidermy van and Ned and Chuck ride along. Chuck has to sit on Ned's lap because the van is so crowded, since Randy was working on stuffing a large animal named Aloysius. They come to a roadblock and, unable to escape the country, go to Lilian and Vivian to get disguises. They offer Buster and Jerry Chuck Charles' old clothing, and learn that Olive and Ned are engaged. The aunts are happy to hear it and Ned has no choice but to play along and kiss. Afterward, Olive goes outside and sings her blues. Ned comes out and Olive admits she'd rather hear Ned say he loves her for real, but understands. Ned is happy that he can help her in a way that doesn't require him to be super, and as a friend he supports what she did. At the unveiling of the Erin Embry Memorial Window, Dick Dicker gives a brief commemoration speech and asks Coco to open the curtain. Her assistant Denny Downs says Coco will greet her admirers at the after-party. Dick opens the windows and everyone gasp in awe at the display of an escalator going to heaven. There's a scream and everyone races into the store to discover that Coco is dead in a tragic escalator accident, cut in half. Emerson checks with the coroner, who confirms Erin was only dead for about 30 minutes. Chuck offers her condolences to Denny, who admits he feels relieved. Emerson figures he's the killer but Chuck isn't so sure. They go to check out Coco's workspace. Olive and Vivian are going through Chuck Charles' clothing and Vivian finds the wedding veil she was going to wear to her wedding with Chuck. Now Vivian is convinced that thanks to Olive and her engagement to Ned, she has something to believe in. Olive can't bring herself to tell the truth about her and Ned. Chuck and Emerson sneak into Coco's workspace and find that her desk is empty. Chuck worries if something might really happen between Ned and Olive, but Emerson doesn't believe it. They find sketches of the windows and realize that Denny designed them all. Emerson figures that Denny killed both women in revenge for being ignored, and Chuck finds a display showing Dick Dicker. They figure that Dick is the next victim and go to protect him. Olive shows Ned the wedding veil and warns that Vivian has now put her faith in their relationship. When Ned admits their relationship has been fun to try on, Olive is upset that he's been "trying her on." She tells everyone that Ned isn't her fiancé and they're not a couple, but she's always loved him. Ned explains he loves her as a friend but Olive tells him to go. However, the police are outside and have the house surrounded. Ned tries to figure out how to make things right, and realizes that as a normal guy he's just not that special. Ned gets an idea and goes outside. Chuck and Emerson tell Dick Dicker their theory, and warn that Denny will seek revenge on him as his boss. Dick offers them a drink from his decanter as they explain that they notified the authorities and he needs to go to the police headquarters while they go to the morgue to verify Emerson's theory. Ned sneaks out to Randy's van and uses his touch to resurrect Aloysius… a dead rhino. It storms outside while Randy and the others stare in astonishment. Buster and Jerry run out the back and escape in the van while Ned chases after the rampaging rhino. At the morgue, Emerson points out that the wound on Erin's head matches the one on the decanter. Ned arrives and announces that he wants to use his finger. He brings both women to death and they confirm that Dick killed both of them to ensure that his store closes. They realize that Denny will be the next target and get the police there just in time. The facts are these: Dick wants to get the store closed without being disowned. He killed Erin but realized she wasn't the talent, so he killed Coco and planned to frame Denny and make it appear as a suicide. Upon Dick's arrest, Dick's wife Debbie Dicker puts Denny in charge, and he makes Wendell his apprentice. As they head for the border, Jerry and Buster point out that Randy is the one who has been standing beside Olive all along. She thanks Randy and he makes sure that she's not engaged to Ned. Randy suggests prayer and Olive remembers when she was at the nunnery with the Mother Superior. Olive summons the police to the Pie Hole to tell them what happened. The Mother Superior arrives with her nuns and says they're spreading the good word to the community and beyond. While the nuns use the bathroom, Olive gives Mother Superior two pies. As the nuns leave, the police are unaware that Mother Superior is helping Olive: Buster and Jerry have disguised themselves as nuns and are slipping out of the country with her. As Ned and Chuck stock new rotting fruit, Chuck admits she feels peeved that he was out celebrating a fake relationship when they can't have a real relationship. She admits she's jealous of Olive. Ned tells her that Olive is finally over her and he only loves Chuck. However, as he looks out he notices Olive and Randy together and feels a bit jealous himself. Additional Info Notes * This episode was originally titled "Through the Looking Glass". * In this episode, the role of Young Olive has been recast. *The cartoon that Young Olive watches on television is the 1956 Bugs Bunny cartoon A Star is Bored. *One of the window dressers is named Denny Downs. He shares a name with Kristin Chenoweth's best friend. *A number of the 'window groupies' shots bear a resemblance to the adulation of the vitrine in Mannequin (1986). Musical Numbers *Olive sings "Hello" by Lionel Richie. Cast Regulars *Lee Pace: Ned *Anna Friel: Charlotte "Chuck" Charles *Chi McBride: Emerson Cod *Jim Dale: The Narrator *Field Cate: Young Ned (credit only) *Ellen Greene: Vivian Charles *Swoosie Kurtz: Lily Charles *Kristin Chenoweth: Olive Snook Special Guest Stars *Richard Benjamin: Jerry Holmes *George Segal: Roy "Buster" Bustamante Guest starring *David Arquette: Randy Mann *Willie Garson: Dick Dicker *Diana Scarwid: Mother Superior *Wayne Wilderson: Wendell Featherstone *Constance Zimmer: Coco Juniper *Rachel Cannon: Erin Embry *Sam Pancake: Denny Downs Co-Starring *Sy Richardson: Coroner *John Cantwell: Devotee *Diana Costa: Olive's Mom *Marc Raducci: Olive's Dad *Ellery Sprayberry: Young Olive |next= }} __NOEDITSECTION__ Category:Episodes Category:Season 2 Category:Musical episodes